A lifestyle blog by Janece Maze dedicated to all things delicious, creative, and delightful in the Magic City and beyond.

Tag: events

What is it about going an impromptu road trip that excites each of us deep within the depths of our spirit? Maybe it’s the open road? Or maybe it’s the endless possibility and adventure that lies ahead? Much like a frenetic and exhilarating unplanned road-trip, Birmingham’s own Secret Stages music festival is that place of excitement that we often get within our spirit after seeing uncharted roads and attractions for the first time. Only Secret Stages is a purveyor of amazing music.

Secret Stages is a unique annual two-day walking music festival founded in 2011 that is hosted in downtown Birmingham, Alabama every first weekend of August over a two block area near local restaurants, bars, shops, and parks. Festival attendees embark a musical discovery journey that includes over 60 up-and-coming bands and artists from various genres of music gracing the stages of local Birmingham spots. In a two day span, your subject to hearing everything from acoustic, alternative country, alt rock, Americana, blues, folk, folk rock, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, pop, punk, rock, singer/songwriter, southern rock, and so much more.

Secret Stages is hands down one of the must-see events in the Southeastern region of the country that every music enthusiast should make plans to attend. This year’s line-up is comprised of artists from all across the nation from various genres of music! Past artists include the following: St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Shovels & Rope, G-Side, Robert Ellis, Jacuzzi Boys, Banditos, Fly Golden Eagle, Lambchop, Hiss Golden Messenger, Futurebirds, Belle Adair, Barton Carroll, Pujol, Ponychase, Shonna Tucker and Ear Candy and many more.

Check out my Q & A Interview with Sam George, one of the creative forces behind Secret Stages below:

Q & A interview with Sam George of Secret Stages

How did Secret Stages begin? What inspired the conception of it? Did any other festivals or creative events influence the founding of Secret Stages?

We formed Secret Stages in the wake of the collapse of City Stages. We felt that City Stages had become bloated and unrepresentative of the spirit of Birmingham in it’s waning years, and that a fest that focused more on up and coming artists, while showcasing many of the great venues that already exist here would be a better fit.

How do you personally define the mission of Secret Stages?

For me, Secret Stages is about spreading the particular joy of finding your new favorite band, and of getting to see that band in an intimate setting before they break out and start playing the larger venues in town to hundreds or thousands of people.

Do you feel like Secret Stages has done a great job of exposing people in the Greater Birmingham area and beyond to quality artists on the rise?

I certainly do! Every year there have been artists that we’ve booked that have gone on to acclaim. Dawes, Shovels and Rope, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Hiss Golden Messenger and more!

What has been the most challenging thing that the Secret Stages team has faced as a creative unit and has it grown as a result?

The most challenging thing has to been to get people to come out for an event featuring artists they don’t know. People are accustomed to paying for festivals where they already know and love the artists, but as we’ve built a reputation for bringing quality up-and-comers to Birmingham, people have begun to trust that he you come to Secret Stages, you’re going to see amazing stuff, even if you’ve never heard of it before.

Do you feel that people are very familiar with Secret Stages at this point – five years after its founding?

We definitely have a following, but because of the nature of our lineup, there’s always more work to be done spreading the word!

What audience do you generally appeal to and who’s been the number one supporter of Secret Stages since day one?

That’s one of the great things about our fest, it appeals to such a wide variety of music -lovers. We have so many genre’s, from metal to jazz, from electronic to hip-hop. If you like any kind music, there will be something awesome for you to discover at our fest.

What is Secret Stages ultimate aspiration for the future?

We’d like to grow slowly out from our center. Though our lineup is huge, we only bring a fraction of the amazing talent available to us. As interest in exploring new music increases, we’d like to continue to expand what we have on offer.

This week’s Weekly Wanderlust in Bham spotlights a multitude of events that offers an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the community, support a local cause or business, engage with the fabulous citizens of our city, or enjoy an evening of fun. The Weekly Wanderlust in Bham feature is dedicated to sharing information about exciting, creative, and innovative happenings in the Greater Birmingham, Alabama community. This week, I am featuring the following events:

Are you interested in meeting Birmingham area bloggers and writers or thinking about attending the See Jane Write Bloganista Mini-Con? Join local bloggers, writers, and some of the See Jane Write Bloganista Mini-Con conference speakers at the Bloganista Mixer presented by Collage Designer Consignment. It will be a fashionable evening of mixing, mingling, shopping, and delectable hors d’oeuvres. The event is free event but registration is required. Register at bloganistamixer2015.eventbrite.com

Birmingham area Goulash Comedy Presents Sasheer Zamata Whiskey on the Rock Tour at The Syndicate Lounge in Birmingham, AL on Monday, July 27th, 2015 for a special evening of comedy with special guest, Liza Treygor! Sasheer is currently featured in the Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast. Sasheer Zamata is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in Drama and started her career in New York’s improv and sketch Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She is also the creative force behind highly praised web series “Pursuit of Sexiness”. This will be an intimate show with limited tickets available. Tickets can be ordered at https://www.facebook.com/TheSyndicateLoungeBham/app_154926464573917

When: Monday, July 27th, 2015, doors open at 7:00 PM and the show starts at 8:30 PM

Secret Stages is a unique annual two-day walking music festival that is hosted in downtown Birmingham, Alabama every first weekend of August over a two-block area near local restaurants, bars, shops, and parks. Festival attendees embark a musical discovery journey that includes over 60 up-and-coming bands and artists from various genres of music (including everything from acoustic, alt. country, alt rock, Americana, blues, folk, folk rock, funk, hip hop, indie, jazz, metal, pop, punk, rock, singer/songwriter, southern rock, and much more) gracing the stages of local Birmingham spots. Secret Stage is must see event that every music enthusiast should make plans to attend. This year’s line-up is comprised of artists from all across the nation, southern region, and within Alabama! Past artists who have graced the stage at the event include the following: St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Shovels & Rope, G-Side, Robert Ellis, Jacuzzi Boys, Banditos, Fly Golden Eagle, Lambchop, Hiss Golden Messenger, Futurebirds, Belle Adair, Barton Carroll, Pujol, Ponychase, Shonna Tucker and Ear Candy and many more. Visit http://www.secretstages.net for more information and http://www.secretstages.net/tickets/ to purchase advance tickets.

Cost: VIP Passes are $50 in advance ($75 at event gates) and Weekend Passes are $25 in advance ($35 at event gates). Tickets will be available for pick up at the festival Will Call starting Friday, July 31st.

Are you a blogger, writer or simply an aspiring one? Make plans to join the women of See Jane Write for the 2nd Annual Bloganista Mini-Con presented by Laura Vincent Printing & Design. The one-day blogging conference is billed as a game changer for any writer looking to start a blog, grow their audience, launch a writing business, or learn more about blogging. This year’s conference will cover the following topics:

How to build a better blog

How to increase your blog traffic

How to turn your blog into a business

How to create and promote your personal brand

How to best use social media to promote your blog and your brand

How to write for your favorite magazine

How to get featured in your favorite magazine

How to start a magazine of your own

How to handle the not-so-glamourous side of fashion blogging

Each tickets covers breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon sweet treat! The event will feature coffee from Church Street Coffee and Books, free chair massages by LightWorks Chair Massage, Insomnia Cookies, Full Moon Bar-B-Que, and an opportunity to talk with panelists and speakers. Confirmed speakers and panelists include:

The Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest returns this year on Saturday, August 1 at Railroad Park and features an eclectic music lineup including the Grammy Award winning hip hop band, The Roots, hip hop artist, actor, and poet, Common, and Alabama’s own, Taylor Hicks, will return to perform that evening. The Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest is presented with Birmingham Mayor, William Bell, and the Birmingham City Council. The free event will begin at 3 p.m. and features local music, food trucks, an AlaBev Beer Garden, cultural, art and family activities. Visit www.schaeffercityfest.com for more details.

This week, I am introducing the Weekly Wanderlust in BHAM feature. The recurring installment will feature information about exciting, creative, and innovative happenings in the Greater Birmingham, Alabama community. This week I am featuring the 30x30x30 Project, Seasick Records 1 Year Anniversary, and Got Your 6 Gala To Benefit The Wounded Warrior Family Foundation Of Alabama.

The 30x30x30 Project

The 30x30x30 Project is a non-profit organization led by Vikki Willard (a former curator of InstagramBHAM) and Antjuan Dewandae Oden. In addition, the collaborative creative project will spotlight local, national, and international artists from Birmingham, various states, Europe, and Asia.

The 30x30x30 Project operated with an ambitious goal of selecting 30 plus artists who were provided with an artist kit (that included 30 small panels) and each artist was asked to complete the panels in 30 days. The exhibition will spotlight over 900 pieces of art that will be offered for sale at $30 each.

In addition, the proceeds generated from the sale of the artworks go toward a scholarship for a local high school student to use for artistic enndeavors. Each artists will also recieve half of the sale of each work of their art and the remainder will go to cover expenses incurred by the project. Moreover, the project also plans to complete a documentary narrating the entire process. The ambitious duo plans to enter the in the Sidewalk Film Festival and other international film festivals as well.

The exhibition begins on Nov 7th at 7 p.m. at 2threefive Studio in Woodlawn (located at 5512 1St Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35212) and will feature music from various artists. The two day event will include a Preview/Artist Appreciation Party on November 7th and the official opening day is Nov 8th. Check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/30x30x30-Project/774052592616455?pnref=story for more information about the project.

The 30x30x30 Project 2014 Participating Artists include the following:

The Seasick Records One Year Anniversary event will take place on Saturday, November 8th at 8:00 PM (located at 4513 5th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35222). Make plans to stop by if you are a local music lover vinyl record enthusiast. The event is free and open to the 21 and up crowd.

The party will include various guest DJs spinning records all evening. Guest are also encouraged to bring any records they want the DJs to play. Good People is providing free beer (while it lasts) for the party and Seasick Records will give out free cake.

The one year celebration also features 15% off everything in the store all weekend long! The sponsors of the event include Good People Brewing, Tom’s Sound, & Substrate Radio. Check out http://www.seasickrecords.wordpress.com/ for more information about the event.

Got Your 6 Gala To Benefit The Wounded Warrior Family Foundation Of Alabama

The First Annual Got Your 6 Gala to Benefit of the Alabama based Wounded Warrior Family Foundation (WWFF) will take place at Good People Brewing Company’s taproom on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11th 2014 at 6:30 pm. The WWFF helps the spouses and children of veterans killed or wounded serving in uniform by providing encouragement and financial support to deal with the devastating consequences of war.

Tickets are $ 25 each and the proceeds from admission and the silent auction will go directly benefit the WWFF. Todd English Pub is sponsoring complimentary hor d’oeuvres and Good People will have beer flowing from its taps. Alabama recording artist, Kip Traylor, will also perform during the event. Check out http://www.woundedwarriorfamilyfoundation.org for more information about the event.

Until the Next Post,

Janece

P.S. I know that I skipped day 5 and 6 of #bloglikecrazy. Hopefully, this post can make up for it!

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Hi! I'm Janece, a writer, food lover, music nerd, adventurer, family gal, and minimalist based in Birmingham, Alabama. Eat Drink Savor Life is a lifestyle blog dedicated to all things delicious, creative, and delightful in the Magic City and beyond.

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